Authenticated endpoint access via alternate API key header
Published May 15, 2026 · Updated May 15, 2026
Incorrect authorization in Open WebUI before 0.9.0 allows remote authenticated users to access restricted API endpoints via x-api-key. The Anthropic-compatible authentication path accepts the same key from x-api-key but skips the endpoint-allowlist check applied to Authorization credentials. Exploitation requires a valid API key and enabled endpoint restrictions; it grants the key access to otherwise denied API functions, including model processing.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in Open WebUI before 0.9.0 allows remote authenticated users to access restricted API endpoints via x-api-key. The Anthropic-compatible authentication path accepts the same key from x-api-key but skips the endpoint-allowlist check applied to Authorization credentials. Exploitation requires a valid API key and enabled endpoint restrictions; it grants the key access to otherwise denied API functions, including model processing.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-45339
- Published
- May 15, 2026
- Updated
- May 15, 2026
- Vendor
- Open WebUI
- Product
- Open WebUI
- Classifications
- CWE-863, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 0.9.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- Upstream x-api-key bypass proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo